Stop...demotivate and listen

A workmate sent me a website that pokes fun at those motivational posters that you see hanging in conference rooms across the USA. Within the site they have a fun application that allows you to make your very own "motivational" poster. I made two referencing 1) Jimmie and I after 15 miles of being lost and 2) Bradley's first race and first wreck. Enjoy!

In other news, The Loch ride last night was a blast. I was very impressed by the newbie. He was taking log piles and other obstacles with nary an issue. It was his first ride with clipless pedals and only fell once, due to a slow and steady issue. My bike seems to be dialed in...the ride was smooth and steady....I had a lot of fuel left in the tank. Now it's time to rest.

Dog is my co-pilot

Yesterday I planned on taking my little girl on a stroll around Soldier's Delight, but rain started coming in droves. She didn't seem too energetic anyway. I went about my business...laundry, dinner, not mowing my lawn, flexing in front of the mirror, etc. As I sat watching the tube, I noticed she was obsessing over her rear end. I finally had enough and took a look. Yikes!!! A huge bump on the rump! Off to the ER vet we went. She had a blocked anal gland, which I'm told can be normal. Not normal to me...that was scary!!

So she got it drained, we got some meds, and she has a lampshade around her neck. Thumbs up to the Falls Road Veterinarian Clinic. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and they have a fantastic staff. Pictures are forthcoming of the lampshaded Cobster...not of her butt...she's a lady.

Tonight I ride Loch as a warm-up/gear check for the Savage on Sunday. I am taking a newbie out on the trail so it should be somewhat moderately paced...although I said that when I rode with Hoppe the first time too.

Friday I hope to get a decent hike in and rest on Saturday in the 'Ville, because Team HKI takes the Savage by storm on Sunday.

Newbs requests that I don't hurt myself before the halfy...request noted.

Nemesis

I finally got back on the Soldier's Delight trail for a 5.5'er run. The good ol' double up (west trail and east trail). A couple months ago I twisted my ankle and thought my entire season was in jeopardy, but I plowed through like the ox I am.

I had my pack loaded with game day gear and headed out for a smooth run. No timing, pacing, etc. I felt really good and according to the sun, I couldn't have been on the trail for much more than an hour.

I did get a blister which isn't a good sign...sock choice is important. I think I may hit the trail more often though...lots of single, in shape ladies running amok. Although at the end of the run I noticed that I had my AR knife clipped to my strap...that probably sent off a lot of unwanted signals. Oh well, you can never be too safe.

Trail hike tonight with Cobi and then a easy Seminary ride on Thursday to make sure the Paragon is dialed in for this weekend's festivities.

Another weekend down

I had a pretty eventful weekend. I kicked off Friday with some pasta and some beers at a local watering hole, Liberatore's. Got some shut eye, woke up and prepped for a long haul bike ride. I started with a 35 and 4 in mind, but the day was so nice I extended my bike ride to 57.4 miles (per the Garmin).

I headed out my front door in Owings Mills and rode to McDaniel College where I was surprised to see Spring Flingers partying...it does my heart well. I was a little bit nutritionally challenged as I thought I was only doing 35 miles, but Perpeteum kept me strong until the last 5 miles where I popped coming up Deer Park from the reservoir...thank you granny gear.

I napped, I showered, I headed to Z-man's (aka, Everyday) in Arlington to celebrate the birth of one of our high school buddies. Good times until my cell phone alarm went off at 7ish in the morning and off to see Brad's first road race in Columbia. He rode strong and would've finished well, but got pinched in the last 100ish meters before the finish line. He crashed out, garnering some gnarly looking road rash, etc. See folks, this is why roadies shave legs. That and it makes your calves look huge!!! Brad...mad props to you in your first race!!!

Brad up front on lap 8, making it look like a ride in the park (note upright position compared to other riders...that's silly strong).

After the crash (Harshman on the left, mangled Brad center, HalfCam in the rear)


Photos courtesy of Eric "Pinarello"

Sunday evening I enjoyed the musical stylings of Sevendust at Ram's Head with Hoppe. I was expecting a loud, brash and noisy evening. While all of that occurred, I really enjoyed the show they put on. I never thought heavy metal show could end up being emotional/spiritual/something along those lines.

Monday I ran around Frederick...teeth cleaned, road bike adjusted, 29er tire found, lunch and Hefe's ingested and naps had...good day.

Rollin' along

We hit Merryman's Loop at Loch Raven last night - we being Hoppe and I. Hoppe got hung up at work so I took a quick half hour loop and the timing couldn't have been better. As I rolled back to the lot, Hoppe was pulling in. He got ready, I fueled up on Vitamin Water (I immediately regretted making that decision, VM was a bad choice - read: vurps like acid). Then off we went, up Heart Attack Hill. It's not like the hill is so horrible, it's just the immediacy at which it comes.

Hoppe, on a singlespeed, once again showed me that I always have room for improvement. He rocked the hill like his biznatch. Although, I rolled it pretty nicely too. Then we were off to the races. My only hiccup was my rear tire. Last trip, and I suspect trips previous, I found a rip in my tire's sidewall. Simple physics suggests that the inner tube will expand the outer shell if the outer shell is weaker than the force exerted outwardly by the tube...I watched Mr. Wizard as a kid. The effect is a bulge in the tire, which makes rocky sections and switchbacks a little squirrelly in the rear. Most of the time I was worried about flatting out, so I took every clean line I could find and slowed down during downhill turns...boring.

We capped the ride off with a nice bottle of Burton Baton by DFH. It's a nice tradition Hoppe and I used to have. One bottle shared between friends after a hard ride.

Recovery

Recovery runs are a bitch. It's very hard to stay committed to a leisurely stroll when your mind and body want to run faster. Alas, it is an important element in the whole cycle of training. I headed out for 20 minutes listening to the smooth tunes of Jack Johnson, which made it a little easier to go at an "island" pace.

Before the run, I hit REI to pick up a few items for the upcoming adventure races. Snagged a Brunton compass, which I need to start training with, a gerber lock blade knife, some CO2 cartridges and an Iced Gingerbread Clif Bar (a brotha's gotta eat).

Tonight I hope to hit the trails with Hoppe. Let's hope the weather holds. It's been too long since I've hit the trail and it will be a nice departure from all the running.

Rolling Thunder, Pouring Rain

Today's blog title is apropos on two fronts.

Front #1: Monday's training got bumped after running approximately one mile. The winds were too much. It felt like I ran 13.1 miles. God bless the Boston Marathoners who had to run in that mess. Yesterday was less windy, but my 10 mile plan got bumped to a 60 minute run. My normal loop was closed due to high winds and possible falling trees, so I opted to run helter skelter around the treeless section of the park. I did some intervals and called it a day.

Front #2: RT/PR is the name of the 2007 edition of the Oddysey Wild and Wonderful 24 Hour Addy Race team. Zack and two of his college cohorts, Mick and Charlie, will be my partners in grime. Should be a blast...other than the real sucky parts of the race.

After my "hell week" of the Savage and the 1/2 thon, my focus will be on the 24 hr. After the 24 hr, I will be shifting my attention to train for the marathon. I think the fitness achieved through the marathon training will carry me through my other planned events.

In other news, Team Enter the Draggin' has officially registered for the 24 Hours of Big Bear. Get your wallets and your big, charitable hearts ready for donations to the ALA.

35 and 4

35 road bike miles and 4 road run miles on Saturday in the morning (okay noon). Felt pretty strong even with a lack of adequate nutrition during the exercise.

DC United game with Newb, Wil and Zack and Big Buck Hunter in the evening. Wilson has been playing and not telling us. Newb and I will be lodging a formal protest. Dammit...I really want Big Buck Hunter Pro.

Sunday..a bunch of nothing but good home cookin' and listening to the rain. Oh and tracking Justin during his quest to finish Ironman Arizona. I think he finished in a little over 14 hours...hell yeah! I fell asleep before he crossed the line...although I tried like hell to stay up and watch the live feed.

Training in peril

...not really. I just haven't updated. Wednesday I had to bag the mountain ride...bear with the explanation...I forgot my wallet as I headed out the door for work...I needed to purchase a new tube...new moola/no tube/no ride.

I even backed my way into a lunch meeting just so I could nourish myself through the long and trying day. I usually spend the bulk of my time trying to back out of meetings...I believe karma will have a strong future role in this ordeal.

So I headed home and ran a couple miles or 25 minutes.

Yesterday I ran all over Baltimore with a gaggle of PHHers during the first annual PHH Amazing Race. Six teams of five competed in a tooth and nail grinder that hit points east, west, south, north and points in between solving clues and collecting various trinkets to rack up the most points. I didn't know B-more had so may cool little places. I think it's a highly underrated city, which can probably be directly correlated to our phenomenal overachievement in field of murder. In fact, we were a couple minutes behind a double murder in Piggtown. We were there before most of the police. Thankfully we didn't see bodies and what not.

Best moment...being in the underbelly of the Lithuanian Hall after some shmoozing with the building manager. The tour took us to what appeared to be a board room, which was found after a maze of rooms, bars, closets, etc. It was dark and dingy with florescent lights acting as a backdrop. I thought I was walking into the past. It reminded me of every Cold War movie I've ever seen. The guy was the nicest person and we got a picture of a shield that no one else would have been able to find...bonus points.

Oh...I also had a Brooks Robinson sighting. After being star struck (doesn't happen to me much, but old HOF Orioles get me every time) and fumbling with the camera, I missed a golden photo op. Dammit!

My Team (in front of Cafe Hon)















So the race was my exercise for the day...wrapped it up at the Waterfront Hotel in Fell's Point to watch the Taylor's. The lead guitarist is ri-donk-ulous.

Tonight, I'm thinking 5 miles.

Bye,
Cycle

Changin' it up

I opted out of the bike/run brick and ran a moderate paced 60 minute run, which I logged approximately 6.5 miles. It felt pretty good, but I know I'll need to get at least a 10 miler in before I do the 1/2-thon. My goal had been changed a couple weeks ago to just finish the race...no specific time (although I may have certain pace markers).

Tonight I ride the mountain with Tobias...

Easy like a Monday evening

Did a little 2 miler backed with some ab work. Steamed some curried Mahi and chilled in front of the boob tube. Hoping to get in a 90 minute ride and transition into a 2 miler this evening.

The Savage has been paid for...now it's all about the racin' on April 29th. I'm hoping to button-hook a Victory visit afterwards for a few libations.The Savage will be a nice little warm-up for both the Frederick 1/2 and the Odyssey.

Speaking of the Odyssey...Looks like I'll be teaming up with old pal, Zacker.

Just rollin' along

Friday was a rest day as I made my way to the glades of Walkersville. I enjoyed the evening as I rested up for the Garrett Petronchak 5K. As the sun rose and some snowflakes fell, my pop and I made our way to Baker Park to meet up with my comrade in stride, codename: Newb (aka, the Gazelle). Checked in, stretched out and shot the shizzle for a spell...then off to the starting line. And we were off. I believe Newb was kind the first mile or so, but then - as with all wild animals - I had to set him free. He was graceful in his departure until I could no longer see him on the horizon.

I found it pretty difficult to get dialed in until I got to mile 2ish...After that I felt spry. I ended up with a 25:14 (8:08 split), which I was pretty jazzed about. I wanted a sub 25, which probably could have been attained if I was wearing a watch and knew how much time remained. I ended up 74th out of 282 runners (top 10 in my age group, but there may have only been 11 runners). Newb kicked some ass with a 23:33/7:36 split/50th overall/6th in age group...SOLID...for a self-proclaimed long distance runner. Newb, you impress me...if you told me you were going to be a long distance runner about 10 years ago, I may have pee'd my pants. Kudos to you. Now, I need to get you on a bike to do these Adventure Races.

Speaking of Adventure Races...next on the checklist is The Savage AR in Pennsylvania on April 29th. Team HKI will be teaming up with Team Tricerat to help escort Tricerat into the wonderful world of AR.

I did a relaxing four-miler on Sunday after church with my new GoLite pack. It was the inaugural run with the pack. Other than some needed minor adjustments...this pack barely felt like it was on. It's go time!

Cold Feelings

...was the Social Distortion song in my head as Toby and I rode the country roads of Owings Mills. Not only was the air temperature chilly and the wind slightly blowing...but us knuckle heads didn't factor in ride speed. This is a deadly trio, which turned our 25 mile flight into a 15 mile speeder. I felt really strong for my first OM ride this year...it seemed flatter. It must be the mad cross training schedule!

FYI...my Hammer sups came today...time to power up like Pac-Man (wokka-wokka-wokka...that may also be construed as Fozzy the Bear...you get the point).

The Good and the Bad

The Good: I ran a 7:16 mile
The Bad: I ran out of steam for the next 2 miles

I was gunning for a sub 25 min 5k. Nothing amazing. I came out of the gates flying and then petered out around the mile and 3/4 mark. I was drained. I know nothing of pace, yet. I am starting to understand its importance. I think on Saturday's run I will start slower and ramp up. I'm hoping this will give me the 8:20 split average I'm looking for.

Looking forward, I think the half-marathon will be a test of fortitude. I will continue to ramp up the miles, but I think race day will be difficult.

A case of the mornings

Why can't I wake up these days? Why can't I get to bed before midnight? I'm sounding like a commercial for some new fangled narcotic. The unpleasant side is that it is interfering with my morning workouts. I have the best intentions of getting up by setting the ol' alarm clock. However, I whack the snooze bar a dozen times and wake up with barely enough time to get to work.

So, in the tradition of writing down goals, here goes it:

WAKE THE HELL UP IN THE MORNING...EVEN IF YOU FEEL LIKE DOGSHIT!!!!

There. That ought to do it.

Dropped my run last night. Will hammer out a 5K tonight to measure how embarassed I will be on the course. Also trying to schedule a road ride for Thursday. Friday is lay low day...maybe a slow jog in the 'ville to keep loose.

Run, run, runaway

Got back on that horse yesterday. After scheduling and being de-scheduled from a post-work road ride, I hopped on the trail to do some modified intervals. One mile warm-up, one-mile soft, one mile full-board, one mile cool. I felt pretty decent. I would really like to find out where my 5K pace is at for the race this weekend. I am going to run a 5K today and feel it out.



Oh and I may have this installed at work...why not.

Lackluster

Friday through Sunday saw dismal performances on my part. I rested on Friday...that was planned. Saturday I rode with my boys at Gambrill, but got a flat about 4-5 miles in..no spares. Dammit! So I got to walk about 3 miles back to the truck before Toby came back to pick me up. I got home napped for a spell and then off to Virginia for some hoops action (watching, not playing). I had more "fun" than expected which pretty much eliminated any sort of athleticism on Sunday. It was my pops b-day so I took onboard lots of unhealthy calories. I'll be running some of them off this evening.

And we ride...

Fast ride last night at Loch Raven - Seminary. It was my first mountain ride since January. It felt awesome...I felt nimble. I had to ride the geared sled because of fears of hurting my knee any further, so that helped me keep Hoppe in sight. I would say we rode our standard night course in around an hour, which makes me tremendously happy considering it was our first ride of the season. Big Bear should be fun this go round.

We are hitting Gambrill on Saturday. Full EtD crew...Toby, Hoppe, Jimmie, myself and hopefully Volker.

I'll be hitting a soft two mile run tonight.

Missed a few updates...sue me.

Monday...rest day...I think...maybe I ran...I can't remember.

Tuesday...I definitely ran. Three easy miles. Shins hurt. Some kids were making out on the trail. They were not attractive, so I kept running. Ate pasta and drank vino on the deck with my best girl, Cobi Joan. She loves her some pasta.

Today I mountain bike at Loch Raven - Seminary with Hop and Toby. Time to throw down. Spring has sprung. Hope it doesn't rain.

That, my friends, was a verbal sprint. That just happened!

Lots of mileage

Went to the land of cows this weekend (aka Walkersville). Friday evening I got to see the rewards of Keith's monumental effort in home renovation. From head to toe he revamped his entire house. Kudos bro...it looks fantastic. You're on the home stretch now!

Saturday morning-ish. I headed out on bike...disregarding the forecast that was laid before me. It was misting, which I thought would be a relief on the road. I set out on the 40 mile venture from the valley of Walkersville through the hills of Thurmont and back again. I felt pretty good for the first venture out this season. Then the sky came falling from the heavens and the temp dropped at least 10 degrees. This change in weather was very unwelcome. I found out that road shoes do not drain so well. So I had to deal with ice cold feet for at least 30 miles.

The ride took me through three covered bridges (Maryland has 7 historical covered bridges). At the second bridge at Roddy Road I ran into another rider, Stan. He was from Damascus and was on a century ride. Yikes. He was preparing for a 3 week tour in South America, so he was lugging all sorts of gear (including soup, which he had just polished off). He was headed my way so we rode together until we parted ways at Dublin and Links. We added some additional miles to tally my total ride closer to 50 miles. It was nice to have a buddy to chat away with during the miserable conditions. He had some very interesting tales of cycling in different parts of the world.

It was nice to get back home and take a hot shower and then the fam headed to Mamma Lu's. I devoured some Baked Ziti and headed to Starbucks for a Caramel Macchiato...yum.

Sunday I woke up and headed home to pick up the world's greatest dog. We ran around the backyard for awhile then she was conked out. During her slumber I hit the trail for a five miler which I tallied a 43 minute total (again no splits). I'm happy with the time and the distance. I hope I am ready for the 1/2 marathon in a couple weeks.

The kicker is that I have a Sprint AR the weekend before the Frederick 1/2'r. That should be an interesting 2 weeks.

Good day. I said good day!

Richard Clay's

I was in a zone today. 2 miles fast/2 miles recovery. The first two miles I recorded a 15:32 or two consistent sub-8's (I didn't record the first split). I literally did a richard clay run (better known as putting your dick in the dirt - grinding it out).

The last two were recovery laps at about a 9:30ish pace. Now I am gonna nosh on some turkey omelet and kick back and watch some roundball, wishing I was in SA with my bro's! I'm there in spirit boys!

Looks like tomorrow will be a good rest day...maybe I'll throw in a push/sit up routine...kick started by a 10 minute stroll on the trainer. Looks like it may be time to put the trainer away. Weather is turning!!!!

Stun and Gun

Hit a three-miler tonight. Started out feeling good so I kicked up the pace to 5k for the first mile and achieved a sub-8, which makes me smile a lot (7:46). I still can't fathom how I did 5 minute miles in high school. The next two miles were put into auto pilot.

If the weather cooperates this weekend, I hope to hit a metric century in Frederick. Supposed to be in the 70's...perfect.

Work(out) from home

I had a lot of proposals to get in line so I opted to work from home, but I really wanted to run. So I compromised and I went running. Again two miles, but at a slightly faster clip:

• First split - 8:23
• Second split - 8:30

I'm still mindful of the knee, trying to build the running muscles slowly this go round. I also did a 2x400 at what I think was a 5k pace. It felt pretty good.

Now I need to fuel up, so off to Trader Joe's I go. Then back to work, which I'll probably be at until 5ish. Then I hope to hit a nice 20 mile bike...again...easy pace. Then probably back to work until bed. Yay me!

P.S. - do not wear the UA's with the lining in them - chapped like a muv, I am.

Update: Scratched the ride...road construction on a large chunk of my route. So I opted for a casual run for 45 minutes. I need to build up my stamina for the half. Knee felt brilliant!!

Jalapeno Tuna on Spinach w/Feta...delish. Scoop o' B&J's Phish Food...no Black and Tan :(

Arrghh. (but got the run in)

No run this AM...apparently I had to spend a little more time shaking off the weekend. I'll probably scratch the PM ride in an effort to get my running legs back in order. If there's time, maybe I'll hit both.

Run at the loop (2 miles, easy). I used this run to primarily guage where my knee stood. I was actually somewhat impressed that I turned a 8:35 mile at what felt like a horribly slow jog. I then ramped down and turned a 9:20. It hurt to read the times on the watch, but I kept reminding myself why I was out running - not speed, but body temp. check. I am hoping next week I'll be able to guage my speed and hopefully tack on a couple extra miles. I think I'm looking at four or five miles by end of next week's end. Baby steps.

In other running news, the new running kicks felt great.

Top O' the Morn

Monday is the dawn of my reawakening to training. I've taken as much time off the bike and trail as I can stand. I will test my meddle tomorrow on a 2 mile test run (easy pace) and hope my knee doesn't explode. Hope to do that in the AM and hit an OM loop after work (around 25 miles).

This weekend was the polar opposite of the aforementioned training regimen. Beer, 2am chili, beer, lounging on the most comfotable couch for 10 straight hours watching the tourney, beer and toe-y socks. Needless to say, I was hurtin' for certain this morning. Possibly the toughest car ride home from NoVa in a long time.

Get back to where you once belonged!

What the hell happened to RideCam? It was supposed to be an account of all my work bike commutes. Then it morphed into all things bike-related. Then craft beer. Then the daily epistles of my misfortunes. Well here comes RideCam v. 5.0. Back to the heart of the matter...the sports that make my world turn. LESS preaching, wallowing, party antics. MORE biking, adventure racing, running and other athletically-motivated adventures. A sprinkle here and there of the new beer I had or partying antics that ruined or enhanced my training. Otherwise, you'll be getting straight up RideCam as it was intended (no more commuting...work commitments have taken priority). On with the Ride....

Injury update. Bad way to start a new blog, but the facts are the facts. Over training, under treating and poor job site attire have rendered me useless. A twisted ankle that I didn't doctor fully is giving me a run for my money. I have acquired runner's knee which has made me feel like an 80 year old man. I stepped on a nail helping my buddy with some home repair. I'm taking this week off and hopefully hopping on the bandwagon starting next Monday.

Adventure racing. Looks like we are getting a ground swell of possible racers for our upcoming races, which means we'll actually have to be somewhat organized to see who wants to race and when. With a new series of races popping up in PA, we'll have an opportunity to race more locales and the ability to spread the love amongst racers. I may be the de facto organizer. Details coming forthwith.

24 hour racing. Big Bear is in our sites and Moab may be in the future. We are hoping to get to Moab, but it may be a challenge with our schedules. Time will tell.

Running. The Frederick half-marathon is quickly approaching and my injuries have me a little concerned. I envision being ready to run, but I'll probably have to adjust my goals from a timed goal to a plain "just finish without walking" goal. A little scuffle in the ranks has me worried about the Marine Corps marathon. I may have to push my marathon aspiration into next year.

Road Riding. Although I probably won't race, I assume I'll be doing the Wine Fest ride again. It's a fun ride for a great cause. And road riding is a large portion of my training regimen, which alleviates the abuse I put on both bike and body.

Events in the Mixer

April 29th. Sprint AR in PA
May 6th. The Frederick Half Marathon (paid)
May 26th. OAR 24 hour AR at New River Gorge in WV
June 9-10. 24 Hours of Big Bear
June 30-31. 24 hour AR in PA
August 5th. 12 hour AR in PA
October 13-14. 24 Hours of Moab
October 21st. Sprint AR in PA

I may need a good masseuse.

If your not wearing Seven H, you might as well be naked!!

My boy Hoppe made his jump to the Big League's on Zazzle as a featured contributor! Is it really the Big League's you ask? Well maybe Triple "A" ball, but it's definitely a tribute to his craft and design work. I stay away from a lot of the new graphic styles these days, because they don't make sense to me, but Hoppe's line is just powerful. The kicker...he's just beginning to tap into his genius.

He is going to start producing silk-screened one of a kinds soon (by one of a kind, I mean not mass produced and each shirt will have it's own character). This, my friends, should launch him into the "Big's". He's got the talent and the drive to make this thing happen.

Check out his work here. Hit me up if you want to know more about his new venture.

300 = Intense

I haven't had a strong urge to see a movie in a long time, but the trailer for 300 has my interest piqued. 300 courageous Spartans fighting an army of millions...should be pretty crazy. The film is an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller, who I also believe wrote Sin City. It's showing in IMAX theaters around the U.S., so I'm crossing my fingers that it will be played in B-more.

Apparently the main cast of characters and their stunt doubles were put through a rigorous training regimen, which I read about here. A Gym Jones workout sounds legit...I didn't see any mention of Kool-Aid on their site though. This is their website intro:

At Gym Jones we train elite athletes and professionals. For some of these individuals fitness can mean the difference between life and death. The objective is genuine fitness, not the appearance of fitness. The methods we use are based on old ideas, new research, creativity, anecdotal evidence and our own high-stakes practice. Our programming emphasizes relative strength, power-endurance, and endurance because in these areas we are expert.

Gym Jones is not a cozy place. There’s no AC, no comfortable spot to sit and there are no mirrors. Stressors are intentionally designed to cause discomfort and apprehension. Effort and pain may not be avoided. Physical and psychological breakdowns occur. The support of a like-minded group, dedicated to The Art of Suffering, provides a safety net. An individual will push harder and risk more in the company of trustworthy peers and that’s one reason the gym is not open to the public. Gym Jones is a private, invitation-only facility located in Utah.

Birfday Weekend

After a long weekend of going out to the wee hours of the morn, I can officially put to rest Cameron's Birthday Month...albeit a little early. I think I stuffed enough stuff into two weekends then I ever had in the past.

Kicked it off with lunch at ODBP followed by running amok in Downtown Frederick with an old high school buddy. Midweek saw me sticking cold beverages in my belly with my boy K-rock and T-digital, watching G.Love and the Special Sauce at Ram's Head Live.

Back to the weekend again, on Friday we celebrated Keither's b-day at Isabella's and devoured much roast...not to neglect our redneckish roots, we then headed to the Village Tavern. It was Keither's gig and my vote didn't count. Then to cap off the weekend, I headed to B-more to party with the post-college crew...Fell's Point was the location. Details fuzzy. Cougars were involved.

I'm still recovering. I'm putting myself on a restricted booze diet...3 beer maximum, once a week. Time to regroup on the training. Although the time off has helped me recover from injury...at least that's what I'm convincing myself of.

My baby's got sauce

Hallelujah, Holla Back. Another birthday down. Birthday month still going strong! Went to see the G. Love show at Ram's Head Live at the Power Plant in Baltimore. I love that venue and the show was fantastic. The cast of characters included Wilson and Tobias...good times. I would write more, but I'm spent...

31 beers old...er...gears...er...years old

That's right RideCam'rs, "16 tons and whaddaya get, another day older and a deeper in debt". Hitting the old 3-1 today. No worries. Feeling better than ever, job is clickin' along, a few hang ups in the past year - but all in all, I'm healthy and have nothing but the present and future ahead of me. Let's kick this year's ass!!

Speaking of ass kicking. Just landed this little beaut'. Light as hell, won't hurt the ol' back during those long adventure races. I might have to do a little trail running this weekend with it strapped on my back. I just need to avoid twisting my ankle again!!!!



I'm also hunting for the perfect road running shoe. The 1/2 Marathon is approaching and I need to start getting serious. Any ideas for good shoes would be appreciated. I think I'm going to hit a decent, dedicated running shop to get a good diagnostic on my foot (i.e., pronation/overpronation). I believe I have an overpronated gait and a good shoe may alleviate some of the lower leg pains I get after training a lot. I don't believe it's an overtrain issue.

So this year is dedicated to building the perfect machine...ME. Both physically and mentally...I'm coming for ya! And to steal yet another line from my good friend, Merle Travis:

See me comin' better step aside
A lot of men didn't and a lot of men died
I got one fist of iron and the other of steel
And if the right one don't get ya, the left one will

Kick startin' birfday month

That's right. Although the celebrating is a little more low key this year, it doesn't mean the month of celebration has been sidelined. It started on Saturday with a visit to the Old Dominion Brewery and Pub. My Aunt Barbara treated myself and my parents to lunch at the pub, which included some fantastic beers. The food...ehh. But the beers couldn't be any fresher. I had the Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale, Oak Barrell Stout and a Victory Amber during lunch.

After lunch we took a brewery tour guided by the owner of Old Dominion. It was supposedly his last tour before he hands over the reigns to the new owners (Anheuser-Busch and Fordham). He seemed to have a bittersweet taste regarding the sale, but apparently his original investors said it was time. A-B bought a 49% stake for distribution rights and Fordham (Coastal Brewing?) received a 51% stake. The unfortunate speculation is that only a couple of the more popular beers will remain, while the others are dropped. I assume to increase capacity for Fordham's brews. Actually, if I remember correctly, ODB was never at full capacity to begin with. Again, purely speculative. I hope they keep Hop Pocket and Oak Barrell.

As for the tour, it was interesting to see the 25 barrell brew system and the dozens of 100 barrell fermentation vessels. With disregard to the scale and automation of the brewery's system, the beer is made the same exact way that our humble Family Chesnik homebrew is made. You can tell it is made with the same passion for beer as well.

Saturday evening I hit Market Street with an old high school buddy and some of his friends. Good times were had as we bar hopped to a couple of the old standards. The next day they were off to see UNC play Maryland. I think they are on their way home now and presumably crying, as UM beat UNC.

Sunday was low-key. Had a family dinner and officially celebrated my birth. Scored a backpack for adventure racing. It is super-light and adjustable. I'm pretty stoked to get back on the AR trail!!! I also received a nice gift from my Aunt Dixie, which I'll use for good running shoes. I've been using my trail running shoes on pavement, which is killing my feet.

Got home Sunday evening and slept...good weekend fo' sho'. Hopefully the next blogs will detail more athletic prowess. I believe my next scheduled event will be the Baltimore Shamrock 5k...a light-hearted run that starts and ends with car bombs (March 11th).

Ridin' that Train(er)

Trainer...one hour....tiring...sweating...suffering. It was great! Strapped on the ol' iPod and off I went, venturing into the ever non-elusive pain cave. It's really easy to find these days. It took about 15-20 minutes to feel the real burn. The remaining time was a mix between an effort in futility and really easy gearing. I lost 2 lbs...which I found this morning...stupid apple raisin fritter! So good.

After the trainer, I did the normal routine (shower/eat). And then hit the sack to watch the Tour of California. What an awesome stage finish. I'm pulling for Levi Leiphiemer to win because he's an old Postie, on Disco now and he is a good ol' 'murican, but I was happy to see Jens Voigt take the stage win. What a great stage finish with the peleton in the background trying to close the gap. It may have been the angle of the camera, but it appeared that the peleton was going to swallow the breakaway pack of Levi, Jens and Chris Horner.

Babaganoush

Why the funny title? Because a) I'm a fan of babaganoosh and b) because it bears no direct relation to what I'm about to write...I think. I'm just gonna fire off a couple thoughts.

Mo' adventure than you can shake a stick at. Jimmie Jam has found another somewhat local AR series in PA that we may also check out this year. www.goalsara.org/yr2007/ar_race_cal.html

Denali or not Denali. Again with the Jimmie Jam. He wants to climb Denali for his 30th (in two years). Holy crow! He wants my to climb. There's a couple things in play here. First, I've never climbed before...heights and Cameron...not friends. Second, it's a 20 day venture. I'm pretty sure I'd need to be gainfully self-employed to pull that kind of vacation. Thirdly, $$$. But if I can conqueor the first two hurdles...then I will find my way to Denali. Where the hell is Denali?

Rockin' the roads again. I hit up a 5 miler around my neighborhood. Slow-paced grinder through the hills of Newtown. I haven't been running regularly for the past month. It felt good, but it whooped my arse! what happened to the fast-footed days of December?

Tour of California. I need DVR. I am missing all the coverage! Versus should definitely have a 6:00 replay. It's awesome to see the excitement this race has generated in the Pro Tour teams. For those who don't know. The tour of California is a bike race much like the Tour de France but on a smaller scale (less stages, lower mileage, less drugs)

Another day, another pub. The fam is hitting Old Dominion Pub and Brewery for my b-day. This may become a tradition. Not OD, but hitting a new brewpub every year. I can dig that.

That's it.

Baba,
Ganoosh

Ice, ice baby

Not much happening these days with the big freeze looming over the greater Baltimore area. I wish I could write about the exciting adventures of riding my trainer while watching The Office and 30 Rock, but alas, that's pretty boring.

I'm not afraid of running when the temperatures hit the teens, but the iced over sidewalks and narrow-plowed roads are impossible to traverse. I kid you not, our community's common area crew was out in force shoveling sidewalks....with chainsaws!!! Insanely cold!!!

So what's a mad blogger to do in the meantime? Find quotes and post 'em. I found this one online today:

When the world gets heavy, remember, I’m here to help carry it with you.

Some deep stuff, right? It succinctly describes the past couple of months and how my family and friends have really been there to help me out. Taking a step back, I guess they've been there all along. Zivot je Dober!

Finally...some quantitative evidence.

I've been waiting for this report with bated breath.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/12/naps.heart.ap/index.html

So, if you'll excuse me....Zzzzzz! Zzzzz! Zzzz!

Back in the fight!!!

I just got back from a 2.5 mile run. I have sweat dripping from my brow onto the keyboard, like drops of water from a downspout after a fresh spring drizzle. My adrenaline is peaked and I am glowing from the inside. I actually feel my body smiling in my general direction, as to say, "Thanks Cam. We needed that. You rock."

Here's back atcha body! It's been way too long. Four weeks too long. After being riddled with an unshakeable chest infection and then a twisted ankle on my first "healthy" day back...I finally felt like it was time to test and push this old stallion into action.

Out of the gates...nothing spectactular. No land speed records were broken. I wasn't expecting spectacular...mediocre at best. However, my morale has ratcheted up about 100 clicks and I feel like I'm in a good position to tackle this year's race goals.

On another note, there is something to this whole seasonal funk that I've read so much about lately. I never gave it much mind. I've always been relatively active my whole life, all throughout the year. No time for "funk". The lay-off, though needed to heal, was rattling my otherwise upbeat personailty to the core. I wasn't Droopy Dog or headed for the ol' prisoner's neck tie...not even a thought. But dammit to hell if I didn't fall into the doldrums of the dreadful habit of flopping myself in front of the idiot box from the time I got home until I closed my eyes to slumber. I wasn't even motivated to read...and I like to read.

In a nutshell, I thrive on activity or I suffer within the talons of inaction - and it's a very hard grip to tear away from.

Today's RideCam Word o' the Day: MOTIVATION

To note, the ankle did nag a little, so tomorrow I'll take it easy on the bike. Hopefully I'll be able to hit a nice distance on my bike - outside - this weekend.

Sleepy

So, I had a nice little weekend planned. You know that kind where you sleep for maybe a combined 10 hours, starting Thursday evening. Thursday had me grabbing some dinner with my B-more boys at Thirsty Dog in Federal Hill. Pizza, beer, bartender - I liked them all, but increasingly better in that order. Good times, indeed. I headed home somewhat early, but a work emergency beckoned and I worked into the wee hours of the morn. Thankfully I was prepared to work from home.

Friday, I headed down to Frederick to indulge in a every couple week tradition - Sushi with Keither. We have become known customers to the sushi chef and have scored sushi bar seats ala Norm. We dined with the owner of Cafe Kyoko and took part in the birthday celebration of his buddy. We were eating all sorts of Japanese cuisine...RideCam loves the Japanese hot sauce and steak...delicious. We ended up hopping around from bar to bar to see if we would run into any oldheads and saw a couple friends from high school.

About five hours later, I was on the road to NYC with the NoVa boys to hang out for the evening with Z-ball's college crew. RideCam loves road trips. The ride up was chock full of funny stories, movie quotes and Zack's dead insides being emitted through his mouth. Once in New York, we unloaded at the Double Tree and headed to Zack's buddy's apartment. There I fell in love. With Big Buck Hunter II. We had a couple beers and shot at digital deer with a sawed of orange shotgun for a little while before heading out to eat. The rest of the night became somewhat of a blur due to the frenetic pace we were setting - I've never been in so many cabs, but here are the bulletpoints (not in any particular order - especially chronologically):

• German restaurant, great German beers, served in appropriate glasses
• Saw our "hosts" new sports bar venture, pre-remodel - their idea sounds pretty solid.
• Went to a bar that was absolutely empty and ten minutes later it was absolutely packed.
• Crocs are a bad idea with wind chills in the single digits
• Cab drivers never get bored of hearing, "Are you the Cash Cab?" - well, we never got bored of asking.
• Playing more Big Buck Hunter
• Eating cake
• Acting foolish
• Night, night

The ride home went something like this - Zzzzzz, Zzzzzzz. Thanks Newb! Thanks all - I had a blast, but I'm sure I owe you all dinner (this makes two for Big Wil).

Until next time.

Sitting on my thumbs

I tried the trainer a couple nights ago, but the ankle didn't appreciate it. I haven't been able to train for a couple weeks, so I am starting to wither away and I am getting mildly depressed. I worked too hard to lose what I achieved - I guess a little microcosm into the bigger picture of my life.

At least I have a couple goals in mind that have been very motivating. However, these same goals have heightened my anxiety for now because I can't train. So what's a man to do - create a training guide during the down time. If I can't be physical with my goals, I might as well knock out the mental/strategic aspect.

Here's what is on RideCam's platter o' fun this year:

Date: Race @ Location (racing with)
Jan 13: National College Sprint Series AR #1 @ Natural Bridge, VA (Jimmie Jam)
May 06: Frederick Half Marathon @ Frederick, MD (Keither - possibly others)
May 26: Odyssey Wild, Wonderful 24 HR AR Series #2 - New River Gorge, WV (Jimmie Jam)
Jun 09: 24 Hours of Big Bear @ Hazelton, WV (Enter the Draggin')
Jul 15: XTERRA EX2 Off-Road Duathlon @ Flintstone, MD (???)
Oct 13: 24 Hours of Moab @ Moab, UT (Enter the Draggin')
Oct 28: Marine Corps Marathon @ Arlington, VA (Keither)

These are the races I will definitely be attending. Others may be added but my focus is on the endurance-type races. I always wanted to run a marathon, so hopefully this year I can knock that off my list. I am really excited to participate in more adventure races.

Send good vibes of healing RideCam'ers!

Can't wait to see this...

24 Solo. A movie about Chris Eatough and his exploits in the solo 24 hour mountain bike racing world. This cat is ridiculously good. Check out the trailer. Gripped's first attempt at a mountain bike documentary was fantastic, I can only imagine the intensity of this one.

It appears that some of the roads he is riding are some of the roads I traverse on my commutes to work.

I may never train again

Just got over the chest congestion....hell yeah! In celebration, I went for a trail run at Soldier's Delight. A couple minutes in, I am picking myself off the ground after a lightening quick fall. Yup, I definitely twisted my ankle...Dammit!

Back to work

Not 100% and it was a chore getting my sleepy butt out of bed. I still woke up with a coughing fit, but just one and not as major. I think the meds and lack of physical exercise has left me a little drained of energy. Starting to feel like a lump on a log. But back at the place that most likely made me ill and dusting off some older projects. I'm surprised the building was still here based on my long hiatus!

I really want to start training for the half marathon scheduled for May. I really want to do just about anything outside...this inside stuff sucks! Keither....you better be training. Any RideCam'rs interested in running?

Who will be number 3000?

What? What? I almost have 3,000 visitors (not unique), which is quite an accomplishment for a small blog. Whoever it is will get a special prize...not sure what it is and is limited to what I have and...here's the small print...not necessarily giving out a prize...bitches!

Gosh darn...not much to report other than I've been pretty sick with some sort of chest infection. Probably because I've been training too hard and not drinking enough alcohol to kill small, deadly microbes that leach into my chestissis!

Seriously, I haven't done shite, but drink the Quil family medicine (both Ny and Day) and take some of the strongest meds on the planet (z-pak). This bug is hardcore and my restlessness has increased 100-fold. I can't stand to have grass grow beneath my feet...must do something!!!!

Of course this is the weekend that all sorts of people call and ask to do really fun stuff...I miss hitting Canton in the mouth with the post college crew, hitting a UNC game at Chapel Hill with my high school buds and watching the Division Championship game with my work buds...dammit it to hell!!!!

Oh well...Tell me to get well soon!

Just a quote

"Who does not love beer, wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long." - Carl Worner, 19th century beer bottle craftesman.

There are a lot of things going on in the above paragraph. The obvious is the fantastic quote. Although I think one can love all those things and still be - at least - a loveable fool. Also, seriously, we need to revamp the beer bottle industry. Bottles are so spartan these days..bring on the true craftsmenship!

That's all folks {cough}

My first AR is in the bag!

I am sick (was sick before the race...prolly didn't help), so I will bullet point.

• I did way better than expected
• We got lost - 15+ miles lost
• My partner was awesome - although he said sorry way too much.
• We were in the top 5 (out of 50ish teams) before we got lost.
• We had the best cheerleading section out there!
  
• I love this stuff - I hope to do the one in May!!!

{cough, cough} Bed time! Some pics from my pop.

Before the race















Prologue (1.5 mile run under the Natural Bridge)














After being lost for 2.5 hours...about to hop on our bikes

RideCam out!

...until I return from the adventure race in VA. Looks like we'll have some rain...booo! And apparently I will still be feeling like shit...booo! Other than that...let's rock this thang!

Pray for me ...pray hard!

Stay classy and dry RideCam'ers!

Ruh-roe

T minus 2 days and counting until the big day hits and I am feeling like a big bag of shite. I woke up this morning with a very sore throat which has subsided, but I have never been so tired. I can barely keep my eyelids open at work...well, less than usual...asshole!

I have been dosing myself with OJ and Cold-eze Zinc drops, which will hopefully knock this monster out of my system. 2007 has started off well, so I don't want it to go in the bag two weeks in. I owe it to my teammate and myself to rock this race as hard as I can...so damn you to hell sickness!!! Damn you straight to hell.

Good ol' Mr. Buffet

...not Warren (although I'm a big fan). Nope, I mean the Jimmy "It could be my fault/Salt-salt/wubba-wubba-wubba/fins to the left" variety.

I've had his tunes whippin' through my head the past couple of days. He is definitely one of the modern era's greatest poets, speaking to generations of fans who so desperately crave the lifestyle he touts in his lyrics.

One chorus has been resonating in my brain bucket though. It sums up for me, how life should be lived:

I'm growing older but not up,
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck,
Let those winds of time blow over my head,
I'd rather die while Im livin than live while I'm dead.

God damn right, Mr. Buffet!



Adventure Race countdown: T minus 3 days and counting. The weather calls for rain...cross fingers that the rain will come after we cross the finish line first!

Nice lil' weekend

Not too much by the way of excitement. On Friday, I headed down to Walkersville to hang out with my buddy, Keith. He and another friend were busy finishing his basement. After some negotiating, we finally headed to downtown Frederick...shocker. It was a good time, ran into some old friends, made some new ones. [The athletic feat took place in the morning with some trainer work...good times...trying to get something in everyday to prepare for the upcoming AR.]

Part of the negotiation was that I help drywall on Saturday. I was all amped to get up early and run, but c'est la vie. The manual labor was enough of a workout. After about 7 hours of work , we cleaned up and headed out to watch some football. Afterwards, I headed to see my parents - who were worried sick because I was neglecting to check my cell phone. Mah bad!

Sunday, I got up and ran 5-6 miles and had a lazy day. I did work on my Paragon for the race - I mainly ride single speed during the winter months - the bike is pretty much dialed in [knock on wood].

That's all.

TOUGH

And I thought waking up early, sipping on a cup o' joe and hopping on the trainer was hard. Check out this crazy effer!

Thanks Me llamo Bradley for the inspiring shot! Although - as you mentioned - I'll stay inside. However, I do highly anticipate the first mountain bike ride in the snow. Let's cross our fingers that the first ride won't be next week during the adventure race. I better stop talking about it or it just might happen. So far, accuweather.com is saying low 50's no rain...meteorologist man, so help you God if you are wrong!

Dancin' in the Moonlight

..no, not the Thin Lizzy ballad. This rendition pertains to the fantastic moonlit mountain bike ride at Seminary last night. The trails were a little damp and the air was chilled, but the pace was fast - albeit a little sketchy on the loose terra firma.

Back to the moon. At one point, when we had to turn back to get a forgotten tool, I thought the moon was a headlamp from another rider. I actually had stopped and waited a couple seconds - I thought the rider could have the tool we needed - before I realized that it was no rider, but the moon, baby!



Insert Thin Lizzy line... 'it's caught me in it's spotlight'.

The view was pretty fantastic - wish I had my digicam.

I also conquered a hill on my single speed that has been nagging at me for a while...YAR!

Again, both Hoppe and Toby put on a show...good stuff.

Got home ... talked to neighbor who offered a token of concern in the form of beer ... talked to the folks ... made chili ... showered ... slumbered ... ironically, woke up to ... yup ... Dancin' in the Moonlight. This is after I already decided on today's blog title. Hopefully '07 will be as interesting.

Back on track

The focus is on the adventure race, which happens in less than two weeks. Last night I rode the trainer for 45 minutes...thinking this was going to be my only exercise for the evening. I hopped off, felt pretty good and hit my small OM loop which is a little over 2 1/2 miles.

I figured it was time to see how the transition may feel. My run started really strong...maybe too strong. I guess my engine was primed and ready to rock. I may need to harness the energy a little better at the start of the 10 miler on the 13th.

Oh well, this will be my first attempt at an adventure race and I'm sure I'll learn a lot more on the course.

The fast life....

I am no longer built for the late nights and raucous behavior that I honed in my college days. The past couple of days definitely reminded me of that.

Thursday. A few buddies and I rallied around Fed Hill and hit up dinner and some local watering holes. Lost bank cards...never to be found again. Got up Friday and ran a couple miles and felt good as new.

Friday. Volk and I hit the Rock and Roll Hotel in DC to see Lake Trout. A good location although a little smokey, and it was also an all ages show which always seems to louse up the atmosphere. We ended up getting home around 3:00 am.

Saturday. Needless to say, it didn't take too much to de-motivate me from running or hopping on the trainer...my body needed rest in more ways than one. So I wrote off Saturday. OK, so I did jog a little...then watched Tenacious D.

Sunday. I spent the day watching football in DC with my boys and then we painted the town...starting at Four Courts for dinner and then all points around the nation's capital. The intention was to see George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, which got nixed due to outrageous ticket price and the proximity of good bars. It was a fun evening for sure...what a great way to end such a weird year!

So...now my focus is the upcoming AR race. More details to come. Oh and I'm also planning on running the Marine Corps marathon in October...

...and the hits just keep on comin'!

The 4th quarter of 2006 has treated Cam poorly. We're looking for a strong rebound in '07. But, I'm not going to set any resolutions because they usually dissolve faster than...well... something that dissolves really quick. Here is a quick snapshot of the recent happenings in the good ol' year of the dog (aptly named by my Asian friends) :

1. The queen bitch slap - getting separated.
2. It's evil backhand - getting separated during the holidays.
3. Kick in the nuts - having to alternate "custody" of Cobi Joan every two weeks
   
4. A poke in the eye - Truck gets towed in the 'burbs of York, PA.
5. A knuckle sam'mich - Bank cards are lost after a night on the town...no bank card for 2 weeks!
6. Not my friend, too! - My iPod bites the dust
   

After typing the "bad" stuff, it ain't all that bad...I guess. I presume my list of good stuff could be larger. Let's give it a crack.

1. I've developed a better relationship with my parents...I guess eventually they become your friends...once again they were right.
2. I've strengthened relationships with old buddies...
3. I got to meet some pretty interesting people...
4. I've lost a good amount of weight and feeling better/younger than ever.
5. Figuring out that I am getting a little wiser...I won't take people's problems for granted any longer. If a friend comes to me with a problem...I'm gonna do what it takes to make sure they get what they need...a silent ear, a wingman, a strong shoulder to lean on, a place to sleep, some grub or an ass-kickin' (if needed).

This list could go on for ever. I will stop it short.

Writing this blog is starting to feel like the end of a Doogie Howser episode.

Probably the last 2006 entry...see you and the boar next year.

No Rain, No Rainbows

It's amazing what a little inspiration can do for you. Everyday you hopefully get to wake up and make decisions that impact not only you, but also the people around you. You get to ask yourself what kind of person, friend, son, daughter, father, mother, stranger you want to be towards others. Bask in the reality that we only have a limited amount of time to make these simple yet seemingly difficult choices. Who do you want to be today?


Take some time to watch this. On this note, I need to run.

Happy birthday 8 lb 6 oz baby Jesus

Wishin' all the readers a Merry Christmas!

Thought for the day: Boozing and cell phones do not make good bedfellows. Texting in the wee hours of the morn is a recipe for disaster. Thee end.

International Holiday Party of Mayhem

Kickin' off Christmas weekend with some international flair. My friend, Hoppe, dished up about a dozen delicacies from around the world and spanning various religious festivities. Approximately 20 people came to enjoy the - hopefully - inaugural event.

The menu favorite seemed to be the cocomut shrimp with peanut sauce. So good. And the drink of the night had to be Amarula. Again, so good.

What makes this night so mayhem-ish? Well, I head out to my car at the end of the evening while talking to Hoppe. We are standing on his porch and I look at the space my car was parked - no car. Awesome. I presume my car was stolen. I walk inside...calmly...and call 911. I reported it stolen. A couple of minutes later they call back and tell me it is at an impound lot. So, Hoppe drives me up to the lot to get my truck...I drive home. The end.

Apparently, they have a crotchety, old neighbor who had it towed. No "Do Not Park" signs were to be found - anywhere. I wasn't in the mood for fighting it...just get my car and roll home.

Lil' Bit O' Truthiness - I live a comfortable life, so I'm not going to complain. However, all I want for Christmas is...no more tests of sanity for a while...please!

Tough, Love, and other Bah-Humming

Just a brief examination into the word "tough" and how it has been playing a role in my recent life.

Tough. Riding on the trainer in the wee hours of the morn'. My typical morning ritual starts at 6:00 by plucking out my "sleepers" and gulping down 32 oz. of water. Then I hop in my bike shorts and mount the beast...aka, the bike trainer. I have the old Spinerval videos, but they are VCR tapes...so I go off of memory. Seriously, who uses a VCR anymore?

I start with a gentle warm up, followed by a hammer fest. I typically ride for an hour or so...just to the point when I may possibly start crying. Then I figure I am just about done...right after I click into a lower gear and grind for a couple more minutes. That my friends is what we call the "pain cave". It has definitely improved both my endurance and my waist line.

Tough. Finding out that I may have to run 10 miles in three weeks and the last time I did that was....never. The AR race is coming up soon, so I tested the running waters last night. I ran 7 miles and felt pretty decent by the end. I guess a few other factors will come into play during the race, like biking 25 miles before the run and orienteering during the run. My mindset is to push my body, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Truthi-Tough. Being alone during the holidays. Let me preface this by saying I will have a ton of family and friends around, but there's something to say about sharing the time with that special person. I guess I've never really been in a situation where I've been single during the holidays and I am here to say that it is a weird feeling.

You see, I'm a huge holiday fan. In fact, I presume that the "Holiday 'A' List" probably looks like this:

- Santa

- Buddy the Elf

- Cameron

The thing is, Christmas just doesn't feel quite the same, no matter how hard I try to make it be. Shopping, parties, the movies (I miss my Rankin/Bass marathons). It's just a little bit painful to come face-to-face with these holiday realities alone. I assume this too shall pass or maybe I'll have someone "special" to share them with next go 'round...but for now :(

And for all you "tough" guys out there that think this is whiny...I don't wish this on you. Merry Christmas.

Truthi-Tough. This whole debacle doesn't just affect the two people involved. It has taken on a cascading effect which has spilled over into multiple layers of my life, as I'm sure it has with hers. The thing that is currently getting under my skin is that our dog, Cobi Joan, is thoroughly confused. She is bouncing between homes every two weeks, which I can't believe she comprehends.

One of her basic instincts is to herd. She always hated when I was on one floor and my wife was on the other. Now she just whines...a lot...wondering where she is...and why she wouldn't want to be with us. It kills me. Not the fact that K's not there...that I have dealt with. It's the fact that Cobi has the best personality a dog owner could hope for and I see it changing.

The flip-side to this argument, which people have brought up over and over again, is that at least she isn't a child. True. I can't argue with that. But still, she's a living, loving and thinking creature who has been like a child to me. I imagine the feelings increase ten-fold with a child, but the worry and guilt are still there.

I won't leave you with Bah, Humbug...not mah true style. See, I told you I was in the top three holiday lovers list...HO, HO, HOLLA!


Until next time! Stay Jolly...RideCam'rs

If this gig doesn't work...

...I can always be a fireman. Say what?!

My department at work had our holiday party last evening at our fearless leader's house. Fantastic house, even better time. The comaraderie is something we haven't shared in a long time. Of course a little vino and beer will always spice up the night.

I digress. What's all this fireman stuff about? A little after halfway through the evening a bunch of us were gathered in the kitchen. A co-worker walked into the dining room where the food was laid out and let out a shrill...manly...with a touch of girlie. We run in to see what has happened and before our eyes we had a fire. Not a little fire, but a fire that would have gotten nasty in a couple of seconds had we not taken action any quicker. A centerpiece had caught fire when the candles burned too low.

It's amazing how the mind freezes up in a situation like that. Here stood our boss looking dumbfounded and everyone else running around with cocktail cups of water trying to put out the blaze...which is basically the equivalent of spitting on a forest fire. Finally, we ran the centerpiece out side and stomped it out.

What could make this event any crazier you ask? During this time, the other half of our department, sitting in another room not 10 feet away, had no clue what was happening. The kicker, a minute or so after the event someone came walking in to the kitchen. Apparently the smoke had made its way into their room. They asked if we had been smoking weed...effing hil-arious. Of course it was the last person on Earth I would have expected that comment from.

That's about all the adventure I could handle yesterday...No feats of physicality took place other than sprinting with a blazing centerpiece. I do, however, need to make sure I do something tonight, including making an effort to create a modified training plan for the adventure race.

真実-iness

That's right! RideCam has gone international. I landed my first international visitor hit last night. I assume it was from an adult site, but hey, it's a start.

I'm truthed out from yesterday...if something pops up today, I'll be sure to open the kimono for all to peruse.

Here we go

RideCam is going to have a little switch up in format. First a little bit of my daily trials and tribulations in the saddle (for the gear heads) and then, as previously mentioned, some "truthiness" (thanks Steve Colbert). I've had a whirlwind past couple of months and the ink just needs to be spilled.

Ride Time with RideCam and friends

Loch Raven - Seminary. Three players...cold temps...zero daylight...fast ride. That sums it up. It has been a while since we all rode together. Maybe even going back as far as the 24 Hours of Big Bear. Myself, Hoppe and Toby hit the trails around 6:30 and made no excuses for the lack of light. It was a high tempo'd ride, where we all pretty much stayed together (at least for the majority of the ride). Around the midway point, the multiple water crossings started to take their toll on our feet. Trying to ride with ice blocks as feet = no fun.

Oh, and define gross - wearing another man's spandex. Yuck. I forgot my bike shorts and had to borrow Hoppe's knickers (clean, of course). I got home and showered with a scouring pad. It's not as bad as Team Hugh Jass' "baton-esque" passing of the spandex between each lap at the 24 Hours of Snowshoe.

Otherwise, we had a blast.

Adventure Race. I think I've been suckered into doing a short sprint adventure race at the Natural Bridge in Virginia. Just mountain biking and orienteering, but still. Short? Try 25-35 miles. It's something I've always wanted to do (as in the 100 things to do before I die), but it's in 3 weeks. I've promised my friend (a wiley AR vet) that I will give it hell. More to come.

Truthiness Time

(Ed. note: If you came for the adventurous side of RideCam then this may not be your bag. No worries. Although I'm sure by now you're wondering...what the hell is this all about. Just soapbox'ing my feelings...feel free to comment...good or bad)

(Second Ed note: This is going to be harder than I thought. I just wrote an epistle on my current situation, but the better part of valor kept me from publishing it. So kids, let me try this again.)

Here we go for the first installment. Let's just dig right in with the facts. The kid (aka Cameron) is going through a divorce. Complete surprise...and not the balloons and cake variety. This one is the head splitting and heart stomping variety. It would have been easier if I had done something atrocious or if I was just a cold, unromantic type person...then I could understand. I like understanding things...this one I don't. But as time goes by...I have learned and continue to learn a lot. Some things I wish I never found out, but I have to move forward.

I figure I either feed into the negativity of the situation and become some sort of recluse wallowing in my own self-pity, or I find the silver lining. So I chose the latter quickly.

Make no bones about it. The situation isn't so black and white. The emotions that fill this turbulent time have left me very tired. A lot of things have flooded my thoughts which makes it hard to get to sleep and once you stir in the middle of the night, well you better grab a book because you're not getting back to sleep.

So where's this positive side come into play? What have been the takeaways so far? Every difficult situation is ripe with learning opportunities. Humans usually learn more from loss than from the status quo. Here's what I have learned so far (warning: these may be a) cheesy, b) blatantly obvious or c) all of the above):

Marriage is full of compromises. I harbor no ill-will or regrets for the opportunities I passed on during my marriage. In fact, I would and will do it all over again...when the time and person are right. My point...it's time to do the things I have put on the back burner. Good fodder for a future "truthiness" article.

A good "circle" is the strongest force you have. I felt like I was on my own when this whole situation transpired. I kept these overwhelming feelings at bay and it was physically and mentally destroying me. Once I let the situation known to both family and friends, the support I recieved was quite possibly one of the warmest feelings I've ever had. I felt a great deal of protection and peacefulness around these people and they are going to great lengths to ensure that I come out of this ordeal a better, happier person. This will be a long journey for sure, but I take a lot of comfort in the fact that I have a lot of great friends and a fantastic family. In fact, the friends/family line has become a thin line these days - I have a lot more "family" out there than I thought.

New relationships are important - continue to foster them. I never realized that I shut myself off from meeting new people. I was always a very outgoing, inviting person who made sure everyone was laughing and happy. I think I let that little piece of me go for a while. Fact is, I'm a big fan of people and all their idiosyncracies. I've always enjoyed learning new, interesting things from complete strangers...in hopes that they too, if inclined, would become a new friend. So far, I've met a couple "strangers"... so it gives me hope that I will get back on track. Hopefully foster some new friends and relationships.

Grow old, never grow up. Enjoy the time you have and be yourself. Understand the situations that you are in and act accordingly, but don't let go of your inner child. There's a time to act professional and "grown up", but don't fear letting your hair down and acting silly in an attempt to be someone you're not. I think I gained a lot of gray hairs attempting to be this type of person. Not worth it.

Honor yourself and what's next (of course I speak of the other sex). This little lesson could probably be a write-up all on its own. I'll try to be short and sweet. The battle here is, "how do I move forward". I'm starting to remember the old Cam...I liked him a lot. Simple. Honest. Fun. Pretty simple tenets. Ones I lost sight of, but hope to regain.

I see a lot of people trying to impress people by being someone they're not. The unfortunate reality is that this works for most, but it will at best be a shaky foundation where only a slight miscue will send the walls crashing - leaving people either upset or disgusted - usually both.

So where does the female side of the equation fit into this rambling? Let me give it a shot. I have a lot of friends that have given me the "tons of fish in the sea" speech and have discussed the wild sides of bachelorhood...but alas...not my style. The player in me was laid to rest after college. The game, while easy and tempting, no longer appeals to me...not really who I am. It doesn't fit into my paradigm...Simple.

If I find someone who thoroughly intrigues me, I'll take the time to get to know them without pretense. People fascinate me. Getting to know someone who shares a lot of common interests is far better than playing the "game", in my opinion. Thankfully I found out early that there are these "fish in the sea"...just not tons of them.

Going forward, I'll continue being the guy I described above. Some call it the "nice guy"...well here's to the nice guy. My belief is that a lot of ladies fear the "nice guy" - maybe too good to be true, a wolf in sheep's clothing or maybe not a "challenge"? I dunno. But at the end of the day being honest, open and truly caring allows me to go to sleep at night. Carlos Mencia did a nice job summing up the plight of the nice guy . I'm not on board with everything, but his concluding "argument" is undeniable and effing hil-arious.

So for a good time call.....kidding.

That was a mouthful...time to make a meeting. Trust me...the truthiness section will become less preachy so bare with me and stay tuned.

Until next time...stay classy RideCam'rs.

OK, OK...

So now I have a little more free time. I can write a little more often. I will try. No promises. I think life is about to become a little more entertaining so be on the lookout for some interesting tales. There will be a lot of truthiness pouring from the pen!

Back to work...